This content was published: October 22, 2007. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC building trades instructor wins regional honor
Photos and story by James Hill
Portland Community College Building Trades Instructor Spencer Hinkle has been named a 2007 Pacific Region Award winner through the Association of Community College Trustees.
Hinkle, a resident of Southwest Portland, was named the winner of the Pacific Region Faculty Award, one of five regional winners across the nation. He was honored for his achievement at the ACCT’s September Annual Community College Leadership Congress in San Diego, Calif. Hinkle was nominated by the PCC Board of Directors.
“Students love having Spencer as a teacher and his co-workers enjoy collaborating with him,” said Jaime Lim, PCC Board Director. “But not only is Spencer an excellent teacher and colleague, he is also an innovator.”
Hinkle is currently the department chair of PCC’s Building Construction Technology program and has been a PCC faculty member for 27 years. His ability to develop community-oriented programs for students to participate in are a big reason he won the award. Hinkle said he was stunned to find out he won the award.
“It was great to be recognized by the PCC Board of Trustees. One of the great things about getting this award was that I had the chance to spend time with and get to know our board (in San Diego).”
For the past three years, Hinkle has served as the principal investigator for a $700,000-plus National Science Foundation grant, “Framing Student Success,” which aims to strengthen math, science and writing skills among high school students through hands-on instruction in construction technology.
He is a founding committee member of the PCC Foundation’s annual golf tournament, which nets more than $65,000 each year for student scholarships. Hinkle has been instrumental in gaining the financial sponsorship of many construction firms in the Portland area for the tournament. He has also traveled to Mississippi, where he led several students in a serving learning experience rebuilding housing for Hurricane Katrina survivors.
Hinkle has received several awards in recognition of his skills and leadership, including the PCC Faculty/Staff Excellence Award and the Educator of the Year Award from the Oregon Building Congress (the educational arm of the Oregon construction industry). Just last year, he was honored with the Gordon Galbraith Award, an award given by faculty and staff at the Rock Creek Campus for outstanding service to students and community.
“It is nice to be recognized for the work you do for students and the college,” Hinkle said.
ACCT is a nonprofit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed board members who govern more than 1,200 community, technical and junior colleges in the United States.
Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon, serving approximately 88,200 full- and part-time students. For more PCC news, please visit us on the Web at www.pcc.edu/news. PCC has three comprehensive campuses, five workforce training and education centers, and 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »